


Dear Santa

by KibaSin



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, YuYu Hakusho
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Denial, Drabble, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Multi, Reverse Harem
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-07
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2017-11-18 04:40:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 17,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/557004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KibaSin/pseuds/KibaSin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagome never expected her young wish to suddenly come true years after she made it. Or the one after that. Or the one after that. Or the… [Inuyasha x Yu Yu x Naruto crossover; Multi-pairings; drabbles]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Note:** The note at the beginning, written to Santa, was written by o0KittyBlue0o.

Dear Santy Claws,

I'm Kagome! Hi! I know you get something from everyone every year, gotta be hard reading all those letters every year, but I has a very VERY special gift I want! I want the perfect boyfriend just for me! Yeah, like a prince! But I kinda want him cool and sweet and handsome, but still inturisting! Yeah! And smart!

Love always, Higurashi Kagome

 

* * *

**One**

Glancing up in surprise, Kagome wondered who could possibly want her so early in the morning. It could not possibly be her mother, or her brother—the little brat—since they had both visited the week before. So, if it was not them, and as her friends were entirely too lazy to wake up so early—

Kagome frowned deeply as the doorbell rang again and _again_ insistently. “I’m _coming_ ,” she whispered under her breath. Really? _Really_? It _had_ to be Inuyasha, now that she thought about it. He had probably been kicked out by Kikyo, _again_ , and wanted a place to stay until she cooled down.

So, twisting the doorknob, Kagome did not bother looking at who stood beyond the threshold. “Inuyasha, I _told_ you last time you came over that I _wasn’t_ going to protect you from the wrath of my cousin anymore, so, please—!”

“I’m sorry—” Kagome glanced up in surprise at the woman’s voice. Then, she blinked, as the woman, oddly dressed in a Santa suit—didn’t she know it wasn’t even close to Christmas?—glanced down at the clipboard in her hand. “—Higurashi Kagome, but I’m not this Inuyasha character that you’re talking about.”

“Who _are_ you?” Kagome asked. It was a stupid question. It was. But, seriously, not only was the woman dressed out of season, but she _also_ had bright blue hair and bubble gum colored eyes! The hair she could understand, due to dye, but those eyes were just serial!

“Oh!” The woman smiled brightly, saying, “I’m simply here to grant your Christmas wish! But, if you want, you can call me Botan!”

“Botan?”

“Mmhm,” Botan nodded. “That’s my name! But, that’s not really important at the moment, Kagome-san. I’m here to give you this—” Kagome was thoroughly surprised she had not noticed the large bag sitting at Botan’s feet, “—It takes a while to make one of these, y’know! Not an easy request, I have to say.”

“This is—” Kagome paused. Was Botan some type of out of season postal worker? “—for me?”

“Oh, yes!” Botan smiled wider. “I had to spend a lot of time on it—do you know how hard it is to find such good qualities nowadays?—but it’s finished now and all ready for you!”

“Um, _okay_ …?” Did she really want to accept a gift from someone who not only showed up on her doorstep so early in the morning, in a Santa suit no less, but also seemed to have had _at least_ six cups of coffee already?

“Oh, before I forget,” Botan laughed, “his name is Kurama!”

The sentence did not register for a moment, as she stared down at the bright red bow tied neatly around the top of the sack, but, when it did, Kagome glanced up in shock. “Wait, what?” The woman was already skipping away. “ _Wait_ , what do you mean _his_ name is Kurama?!”

Botan did not reply, bounding away with a jolly skip in her step.

“ _Wait!_ ” Kagome called again.

The woman made no sign that she even heard her, as she seemingly vanished into thin air. Kagome sighed at the sight, shaking her head, before turning her attention to the sack lying innocently at her feet. “Well,” she said, “I _suppose_ it couldn’t hurt… I mean, whatever’s in here’s not going to bite me—”

— _hopefully_.

Reaching out tentatively, Kagome pulled on the bright red bow that had caught her attention not long before. It gave easily under her strong tug, and she watched, fascinated, as the sack slowly slipped downward and away from the item that lay within.

“O- _o_ - _oh my god!_ ” Kagome shrieked suddenly.

There, looking up at her with glittering emerald green eyes, was a _man_.


	2. Two

It was clear to Kagome, as it should have been the moment she saw her, that the woman she had found standing outside her door had not been human— _just like_ a large portion of the population—but, _seriously_?!

 _There was a_ man _sitting at her feet!!_

“U-um,” she sputtered. A dark blush rushed over her face suddenly, as handsome man took her hand within his own and stared up into her eyes. If she did not know any better, she would have sworn he was about to rise up onto one knee and propose to he—

_Was he—?_

“Kagome-san, I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. As you have most likely been told, my name is Kurama.” Up on one knee, he pulled her hand toward his mouth and placed a gentle kiss upon her smooth skin.

“W-what?” Kagome gasped. Within an instant, though, she had come up with quite a few questions she felt she should ask. So, she practically shouted, “Why were you in that sack? Why would you let someone _do_ that to you? Who was that woman? What are you doing here? Is this some kind of sick joke?” She paused at that one, and added, “ _Did Inuyasha set you up with this?_ ”

His green eyes blinked at her, slowly, before he allowed a smile to appear on his face. “I’m not sure how to answer your questions, Kagome-san. I only know that I was brought here _because_ I was created for you. I am essentially yours, and, might I add, I am quite pleased with the arrangement.”

“No, wait! Back up!” Kagome’s mouth nearly dropped. His voice was _so_ smooth, but, damn it, she had heard smooth talkers before and she was _not_ about to fall for his sweet appearance. “You’re a person! I _can’t_ own you!”

“Please.” Kurama rose suddenly, gripping her upper arms lightly with each of his hands. She took a step back as he expected, and he followed her, leading her back into her house without much effort. “Let me explain, won’t you?”

“O- _okay_.” Her blush spread, dipping down into her shirt, when she realized the strange man had nearly pushed her up against a wall. His face was _just_ too close, because she could see every little— _handsome_ —detail there. “I guess I could let you—”

He cut her off, his eyes seemingly sharp as he stared at her. “My name is Kurama. I am a fox demon avatar created specifically to please a wish you made some years ago. I _am_ yours. Because, while you might try to deny it—” _he was leaning in_ , “—I will accept no other.”

His sharp canines gripped her bottom lip for only a moment, before Kagome managed to get a hold on herself and reacted. She pushed him away quickly, hissing at the feel of his canines slicing into her lip, and watched as he hit the floor from the surprise attack.

The taste of blood on his tongue, Kurama shook his head. “I’m sorry, I did not mean—”

“A-are you okay…?” His sudden silence did not make Kagome all that comfortable, and she shifted a little to the side. Because, if he _was_ an avatar, she did not want to find herself suddenly trapped against the wal—

His eyes snapped upward, immediately locking with her deep blue. “Gorgeous.”

Gasping, Kagome found herself pushed up against the wall with predatory golden eyes boring into her. She found herself instantly fascinated with them, her mouth finally dropping open, because they were too dark to be anything like Inuyasha’s and certainly too bright to be like Sesshoumaru’s. They were unique, gorgeous and she felt herself being pulled underneath the spell of fox seduction.

“Hello there, _Vixen._ ”


	3. Three

“Y-you’re—!” she squeaked.

“You may call me Youko.” His smirk was devilishly handsome, as his entire form seemed to shimmer and change. “And might I say, _Ka-go-me_ —” he pressed against her, knowing that his spell had already been woven perfectly, “—that I am _quite_ interesting. As you _requested_.”

Unbeknownst to the fox demon, Kagome’s attention had been drawn elsewhere the moment his transformation was complete. Her mouth opened a little in awe, her eyes wide, as she slowly slipped her hands up the strong muscles of his arms.

His smirk spreading, Youko allowed her the small movement. It pleased him to know that the small female was so fascinated with him, and already _oh so_ willing to open her legs so he might settle between them and—

Without warning, Kagome basically attached herself to the twitching twin ears that were perched on top of the demon’s head. “ _Oh my god!_ ” she squealed. “These ears are just the most adorable thing I’ve _ever_ seen! And, _oh_ , they’re _really_ soft!”

Youko’s face twisted with pleasure, as suddenly a strange, cat-like purr escaped his throat. The girl trapped against the wall did not seem to notice, only giggling happily at the discovery that he had ears like—well, Youko did not particularly care, as long as this Inuyasha character did not turn out to be some type of competition that he needed to watch out for.

“ _Okay!_ ” Kagome sighed deeply, finally releasing the appendages regretfully. “Now that that’s done, I’m going to have to ask you to back up a bit so I can move. Being pressed up against a wall isn’t exactly the most comfortable thing in the world you know.”

Frowning at the sudden loss of attention, Youko leaned down until he was staring directly into her beautiful blue eyes. “Oh, but you see, Vixen, I was just starting to have a bit of fun. And since I don’t plan on going back into my little prison anytime soon, I think it’s only best that you _entertain_ me.”

As he pushed the issue, pressing his knee into the apex of her thighs, Kagome did what any unwilling woman in her situation would have done. She slapped him across the face, watching the sparks fly as her energy spiked beneath her skin.

Thoroughly reprimanded, Youko was literally pushed away from her with the jolt. His tight control over his body shattered, and as he hit the floor, he felt Kurama return to the surface.

Kneeling down beside him, Kagome made sure to keep a bit of distance. “Are you okay?” She leaned into her hand, allowing her elbow to rest on her knee, and watched as he slowly raised those glittering emerald green eyes in her direction.

“Yes, Kagome-san. I was just a little _shocked_ is all, to find that you were a miko,” Kurama explained. He smiled in good humor, saying, “I do hope you will not think ill of Youko. He is merely a bit _excited_ , is all, to meet you.”

“Because…?” The initial shock of finding out Botan—the crazed lunatic—had literally left a man upon her doorstep worn off, Kagome was determined to find some answers before she went off to work.

“I already told you, Kagome-san, I _belong to you_.”

It seemed so _surreal_ , yet Kagome knew that demon mating meant pretty much the same thing—and, well, he _was_ a demon, on the inside. “So…” she frowned at the thought, “that means that you’re _not_ going to leave and tell me this is some big joke my friends are pulling on me?”

“No.” Kurama smiled, hoping to win her over—

“ _Fuck_.”

—and then frowned at her crude language.


	4. Four

Really, _really_?!

Kagome felt her eyebrow twitch. She had _not_ , as far as she could remember, mated with any demon, which meant that Kurama should be willing and able to leave whenever he felt like it. Yet— _yet!_ —the more time she spent getting ready to leave for work, the more it appeared that he _would not leave_.

 _What?!_ Was he attached to her at the hip or _something_?

“Kagome-san, I’m afraid you’re not understanding,” Kurama sighed. “I was created especially for you. My very existence is to make certain that you receive the attention and devotion you deserve. I cannot simply—”

“ _Look_ ,” Kagome frowned. “Just, shut up, okay?”

“I—I, _um_ , yes, of course.”

Huffing underneath her breath, Kagome cast him one last glance as she grabbed her jacket from the hook near the door. “I don’t have time for this, okay. So, we’ll deal with it when I get back. You got that? We’re going to _straighten_ this situation out and see if we can’t figure out _why_ you believe you _have_ to stay here.”

“Kagome-san, I already—”

 _Wow_. Kagome’s look alone shut him up once more, as she scowled a little. “I said, ‘ _when I get home_.’ I don’t want to hear about it now, or, _actually_ , I don’t want to hear about it _at all_ until I decide I want to, understand?”

Kurama nodded, ignoring the sudden urging from Youko to pounce upon the small woman while she was all riled up. Because while, _yes_ , the rut would no doubt be amazing and perfect and—

“Are you okay?” Kagome asked. She wondered, in that moment, how many times she might have to ask the fox avatar that question, as it appeared he often lapsed into thoughtful silence. It was _just_ not helping the situation, since his handsome face slowly creased and appeared distant, intelligent, and—and—

Seriously, what girl would _not_ want to fall at his feet?

Shaking her head, she waited for her answer. It came in a single nod, as he seemed to focus upon keeping his silent promise to not speak about _it_ until she decided she wanted to. And, as charming as it was, she _did not_ have time to deal with it.

“Ugh,” she growled.

“Kagome-san—” having put her hand upon the doorknob, Kagome turned to him, “—is there anything in particular you would like me to do while you are away?”

“ _Um_.” Man, the guy _really_ could make her tongue-tied. “Not really. No.”

“I see,” Kurama muttered softly. “I will just have to find some way to entertain myself then. What time do you believe you’ll be coming home?”

“I’m normally back around five-ish,” she told him. Then, she felt stupid. He was _not_ staying, despite his belief that he _had_ to, so there was _no reason_ to tell him her schedule. “Until then,” she opened the door, “just _stay put_ , will you?”

“Of course, Kagome-san.”

His handsome smile only brightened his brilliant emerald eyes, and Kagome lowered her gaze at the intense, feral promise that lay underneath. Because, if she found herself falling into those brilliant orbs, she knew that _she_ would begin to believe his crazy, insane, unlawful belief that he—

No. No. It was just wrong. He would _not_ possibly belong to her.

Giving a sigh, she said, “I’ll see you later.”

“I will await your return,” he replied.

And then, with a snap of the wrist, she was gone.


	5. Five

“Welcome home, Kagome-san.”

Jumping a little at the sudden noise, Kagome dropped her jacket onto the floor the moment she entered the room. “Who—!?” Her voice tightened a bit, confusion clouding her mind, until she came to the realization that Kurama had not left like she hoped he would. “Oh, its _you_.”

Really. Really? This was all some cruel joke, she was starting to realize, and the fact that he was _so willing_ to play annoyed her beyond belief.

“Tell me again, how much money was Inuyasha paying you?” Hanging her jacket up on the hook, Kagome faintly noticed that the fox avatar had not even bothered to turn on the lights. It was growing dark, his emerald eyes gleaming in the shadows, and she quickly flicked the light on in hopes of breaking the strange spell he seemed to cast over her.

Kurama blinked a few times, before replying, “Who is Inuyasha, Kagome-san?”

So, they were still going to play the little game, were they?

Turning her blazing eyes upon the fox avatar, Kagome was ready to berate him with everything that she had. She did not own him, and damn it, she wanted him _out_ of her house! But— “Have you been standing there the entire time?”

“No.” Kurama shook his head in amusement. “While I entertained the thought for a while, Kagome-san, I thought that, perhaps, you would like something to eat when you came home. So, I took it upon myself to make you dinner.”

“You did?” Kagome blinked in return. No one of the male variety, not even her past boyfriends, had _ever_ made her something to eat. Especially dinner. But, at his single nod and the faint smell of food that permeated the air—how had she _not_ noticed that before?—she decided that a little gratitude was needed. “Oh, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Kagome-san.” Kurama smiled that smile that nearly turned her to goo, before turning halfway on his heel. “I hope you do not mind, but I also took it upon myself to find the extra blankets for the guest bedroom. After your reaction to Youko, and his constant urging to prove to you that I do indeed belong to you, I did not think you would appreciate me trying to sleep in your room.”

Kagome froze beneath his feral, lustful glance.

“Despite how much I would _like_ to.”

“U-um,” Kagome stuttered. Then, watching him begin to walk away, she asked, “W-where are you going?”

“I’m going to bed, Kagome-san.” He explained it _so_ simply, as if speaking to a child. “While I do wish to please you in every way possible, I’ve come to realize that I am in need of a short nap if we don’t want another occurrence like this morning happening anytime soon. Though, if you wish it, I will not bother you for the rest of the night.”

“O-oh.” It was really all Kagome could bring herself to say. That look that he had given her was so _raw_ and _emotional_ that she was not entirely sure if she was _right_. What if… he truly did _belong_ to her? What if it was some kind of demon soul mate thingy that he was suffering from, and that woman, Botan, had simply helped him in finding—?

“Good night, Kagome-san.”

“O-oh, um, good night.”

The thought of kicking him out seemed to dissolve away, though she still held the strong belief that this all could be one of Inuyasha’s insane jokes. Which meant she needed to watch her back, even if— _even if_ she could not kick him out _in case_ she was wrong.


	6. Six

“Ugh, go _away_.” Rolling onto her stomach, Kagome pulled her pillow tight around her head in hopes of driving away the insistent ringing that resonated throughout the house. It was Saturday, for the love of God. And, since everyone knew that Saturday was Higurashi Kagome’s day of relaxation and rejuvenation, the person at the door _must_ be an idiot.

Finally, practically throwing her body into a sitting position, her pillow and blanket flying away from her fury, Kagome hissed between her teeth. The sound _must_ stop, she decided, if she ever wished to go back to sleep. Which meant that she needed to answer the door, despite the fact that she _really_ did not want to get up at all.

Ohhhhh. Whoever they were, they were in for a world of hurt.

Especially if their name started with an I and ended with an nuyasha.

Eyes flashing, Kagome detangled herself from her sheet and rose somewhat robotically. The sound _must stop_. It _must_. She stalked forward with the internal mantra, barely containing herself as she threw up her bedroom door. She did not need another hole in her wall, after all.

Quickly moving toward the door, Kagome stopped only momentarily to glance into the kitchen. Her eyes narrowed into a glare, as she hissed, “You’re up and you _couldn’t_ answer the door?”

Kurama blinked innocently, turning away from the pan that he was using to fry eggs in. “I did not think that it would look good on your reputation, Kagome-san, if a strange man opened the door to your home and, say, one of your friends was on the other side. I had hoped they would leave before you awoke.”

“Yeah, well, they _didn’t_ , did they?”

Clearly, she was _not_ a morning person. But, Kurama smiled nonetheless and merely waved the spatula he was using in the air. “My mistake, Kagome-san. Next time, I will make sure to answer if _before_ it disturbs your beauty rest.”

Making a strangled huff sound in the back of her throat, she moved away from the kitchen and decided to yell at him some later. He deserved it, after all. Staying in her house, hitting on her, and _not answering the door when it clearly needed to be answered_.

Pulling the front door open perhaps a bit too harshly, Kagome prepared to rant long and hard at the person that _dared_ wake her on her day off. However, she stopped short when she realized just _who_ was standing outside her doorstep.

“Why hello, Higurashi Kagome!” Botan’s cheerful smile nearly blinded Kagome, as the woman danced about in her little Santa outfit. “You know, it’s not often that we decide to grant more than _one_ wish like this, but the big boss decided that you—” she glanced down at her clipboard, “—with all your good qualities—I did tell you they were hard to find nowadays, right?—deserved a little something extra!”

“W-what?”

“The big boss, therefore, has decided to grant _all_ of your wishes!” Botan smiled a little more. “Isn’t that simply wonderful?” She paused, and added, “Though, I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait a bit more on the other—” _again_ , she referred to her clipboard, “—five gifts that you’ll receive. They’re not quite _ready_ yet, y’know?”

“ _Five more?!_ ” Kagome gasped. “ _What! No!_ ”

“I’m afraid so,” Botan tapped her lip lightly. “Best to remember, though, that they are yours the moment that they’re handed over. You could do, well—” her eyebrows lifted suggestively, “— _anything_ with them.”

“ _Wait!_ ” Noticing that the woman was already skipping away, Kagome snapped out of her stutter and called after her. “You have to take these two back! I don’t want them!”

“Sorry!” Botan waved. “No can do!”

In the blink of an eye, she was gone, and Kagome groaned deep in her throat as she glanced down at the red sack lying at her feet. The bow was black this time, and she was not entirely positive if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Hm?” Kurama leaned over her shoulder. “What’s this?”

“A problem,” Kagome nearly cried. “A big, big, big, _big_ problem.”


	7. Seven

“Well, are you going to open it?”

Glancing over her shoulder, Kagome nearly leapt out of her skin when she realized that she was no longer staring into those deep, emerald eyes that mesmerized her so well. Instead, Youko’s sharp, golden orbs were practically glaring down at the sack sitting just outside the threshold.

His nose twitched time after time, before he finally huffed in annoyance. “On second thought, best just to throw it out.”

“I _can’t_ do that!” Kagome exclaimed. “What if there’s another person in there?!”

“I don’t see why you would need another to satisfy your needs when you have _me_ ,” Youko smirked. A light purr escaped his throat, as he leaned into the woman’s back. He made certain that his claws lightly teased her flesh, running them up her sleeves as slowly as he possibly could.

Elbowing him beneath the ribs, Kagome was thoroughly pleased with the hiss that echoed into her ear. She smiled only a little, amused, while the avatar released her from his seductive hold. “That’ll teach ya.”

“ _Minx_ ,” he growled.

She escaped his hold a second time by kneeling down next to the sack. “What will I do with _you_?” she questioned it underneath her breath, feeling Youko’s attempted swing to recapture her. Hopefully this one would _believe_ her when she said he—had she ever wished for a girl? Oh God, she did not know!—was free to go, and left.

“You’re a feisty little vixen in the morning, aren’t you?”

 _Definitely_ left.

Reaching out, Kagome decided that it was just best to get it over with. After all, there was a high possibility that there was no person inside of _this_ sack. And—and—damn it, there was nobody inside _this_ sack!

She pulled the bow, watching the sack lose shape, falling limp around—

“ _Hiei_ ,” Youko hissed.

—the shoulders of _another_ man. Kagome nearly cried, and she might have, if he had not suddenly leaned forward to examine her thoroughly with his dark crimson eyes. He sniffed at her, flaring his nostrils, before she finally noticed that his hair seemed to stretch toward the sky in the shape of a flame.

“ _Oh no_ ,” she groaned in misery. Was he going to suddenly pounce upon her like Youko had? Or was he trying to decide whether or not it was the best idea to kill her?

“Hn.”

The second option seemed more likely, now that Kagome thought about it. He _was_ a demon, after all. His aura, wrapping around her and nipping at her flesh like a naughty little dragon, practically screamed the information at her. It would have been difficult to tell he was _not_ a demon, even without her ability as a miko.

Hiei—Kagome considered it safe to assume that _was_ his name, considering Youko’s growl made it very clear he was _not_ happy to see the little demon—then turned away from her. He seemed to dismiss her entirely, stating simply, “ _Fox_.”

“What are _you_ doing _here_?” Youko asked.

“Isn’t it obvious—?” Hiei smirked.

Kagome felt her breath catch at the sight, unable to deny the jolt that went up her spine when the dark little demon graced them with that facial expression. Oh God. _Oh God_ , how was she going to survive them _both_ before she managed to convince them _they did not belong_ —!

“—I, too, belong to this woman.”

“Yes, _well_ , when they were making you, I automatically assumed you would be sent away to some horny little girl that enjoys pain.” Youko was _not_ pleased. It was rare for anyone to receive more than one gift, and he could not understand why Kagome would wish for such a nasty little _thing_. “ _Forgive me_.”

As the sarcasm washed over her, Kagome pouted. Her day of solitude was ruined.

“Hn.”

Absolutely, _positively_ ruined.


	8. Eight

“Taisho Inuyasha, you _did not_ just say that to me!” Kagome practically screamed into the phone, as white-hot fury coursed through her body. “ _Nuh uh_ , don’t try defending yourself! I can’t believe that you just insinuated that I only have two men here so I can have _sex_ with them!” She paused to listen for a moment, before cutting him off, “You know damn well that Kikyo will be hearing about this, and, _you know what else_? Don’t bother coming over here for a while, otherwise I might just kick you in that _oh-so-special_ spot!”

Huffing in anger, she slammed the phone down on the receiver and cut the hanyou off completely. How _dare_ he laugh at her, and _then_ say she should deal with her own “cock party” instead of calling him to do it for her! As if she was _sleeping_ with those two insane, stupid, hormo—!

Her skin suddenly crawling in warning, Kagome slowly turned her head and found Hiei’s dark crimson eyes boring into her. She released a frightened little scream, and stumbled away from him into the nearest wall. “Oh. My. _God_!”

Hiei only blinked, watching her.

“What is your _problem_?” she hissed. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to sneak up on people? You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

He was suddenly in her face, giving her an odd sense of déjà vu, and Kagome stiffened when his hand gripped her wrist to keep her from striking him like she had intended. It was almost as if he could read her movements, and her face heated immediately beneath his crimson stare. And then, his ear settling upon her breast, she felt the heat of her blush rush down into her shirt.

“U-u- _um_ ,” she stuttered, her heart beat picking up.

Pulling away, the hybrid gave her a blank stare. Then, he said, “You appear to be in well enough health.”

“W- _what?_ ”

“Besides,” he frowned, “living in a house with two demons, you would think that a miko such as yourself would be intelligent enough to know where they were at all times. Especially with the knowledge that both of them are predators in their own right.”

Watching the demon lean away from her and stare eerily into her eyes, Kagome found herself drawn deep into his crimson gaze. Her heart picked up speed, and the tiny smirk that pulled at the corner of his mouth did nothing to help her situation. “U- _um_ ,” she stuttered.

“What’s the matter, little miko?” the demon asked.

The amused tone that he used snapped her out of her embarrassment immediately, and Kagome scowled deeply. “Now, listen here, you—!” However, her angered speech died the moment Hiei leaned forward, and she found her words catching in her throat once again. “—I—you— _uh_ —”

“Hn.” Hiei refused to be moved, even as his sharp tongue went to work. “Don’t be fooled, miko. I am not your princely little fox, and I will not immediately fall into your womanly embrace.”

“W- _what?_ ”

With the way her heart was beating, he was not all that surprised that she did not quite understand. “I am the way your rebellious years wished me to be, so _do not_ think that I will give you your every wish. Do you understand?”

“I—I—!” Fighting back her traitorous tongue, Kagome hissed, “If you want to leave, you know where the door is.”

“You still do not understand, do you?” Hiei sighed. Then, lifting his hand, he made sure to drag a sharpening claw down the side of her face until he was grasping her chin tight in his hand. “I am this way because it is the way you wanted me to be. I belong to _you_ , but that does not mean I will give you what it is you want. _No_ , instead, I will _take_ that which _I_ want.”

Gasping in surprise when his mouth slammed harshly against her own, Kagome squeaked when his tongue snaked between her teeth and began to tangle with hers. “Ngh, _nghh_.” She tried to pull away, but her head hit the wall behind her. And then, trying to send him a nasty jolt, she found that the little fire demon seemed unaffected by her ability as he blatantly ignored her attempt.

“And _this_ is why I suggested we throw him out.”


	9. Nine

Hiei drew away slowly, lingering for a moment, and Kagome was unable to deny the warmth that swept through her body suddenly at the look in his eyes. It was just _so_ wrong! Not only had these two been dropped onto her doorstep like they were nothing more than yesterday’s trash, but now it appeared that the little fire demon was bound and determined to drive it into her head that she did, _indeed_ , belong solely to him.

Was there really some sort of odd demon mating ritual that she did not know about? Had she accidentally partaken in it the last time Inuyasha had gotten her a bit too drunk? And, if she _had_ , why the hell had she done it with a crazy fire demon and a practically schizophrenic avatar?

“I really just want to _die_ ,” she mumbled to herself quietly. “Someone just kill me now.”

Youko’s frown deepened, as he snapped, “Look at what you’ve done, you little bastard!”

“ _Tch_.” Hiei turned his head away, as he released the small miko and allowed her to slide down the wall to the floor. His eyes flickered in her direction for a moment, before he returned his attention to the fox demon glowering angrily at him. “I merely gave her what she wanted, Fox.”

“What she wanted?” Youko hissed. “Oh, no, Hiei, I do believe what the little miko wanted was _me_.”

“If she was so satisfied with _you_ , why would she have requested something _else_ not long afterward, hm?” Hiei smirked in reply. “You’re just a child’s fantasy of a storybook prince, but even then, that’s _not_ you. It’s Kurama. You’re just the added little addition to make _him_ interesting.”

“Do not tempt me,” the fox demon growled.

 _Oh my God,_ Kagome thought, _just leave. Just leave, please._

“You and I both know that it’s true,” Hiei continued. “You’re only an addition to Kurama’s mindset. He is perfect on his own when it comes to the miko’s request. He does not need _you_.”

Sliding herself back up the wall, Kagome watched as Youko suddenly slammed the little demon into the wall nearest him by the throat. His eyes were turning stark red in his anger, and she inhaled sharply at the spike in demonic energy coursing through his body. “ _Stop_ ,” she whispered, her eyes widening.

“Does it hurt, Youko?” Hiei asked smoothly, despite the clawed hand choking the air from his lungs. “To know that you are not needed? To know that the miko does not truly belong to _you_ , but Kurama? To know that you are the _Beast_ to his _Beauty_?”

“ _Stop it!_ ” Kagome screamed, watching as Youko pushed Hiei deeper into the wall. Her energy swirled around her, snapping angrily, as she found herself lost in her confusion and anger. Because while it might be completely ridiculous for them both to believe that they were _made_ for her by whatever in the world received her letters to what she had believed was Santa, she did _not_ want to see the anyone hurt over _her_.

Immediately, Youko’s hand slipped free of the other demon’s throat.


	10. Ten

This was just so _stupid_!

“Don’t!” she snapped, pushing away the solemn man and his tempting emerald green eyes. Knowing that he could easily fluster her once more set her on edge, and she began to feel the need to cry over the entire situation. “I don’t want you here, don’t you understand? The both of you need to get it through your thick skulls: you _cannot_ own a person! You do _not_ belong to me! This is _ridiculous_!”

Kurama chose to ignore her request, as he began to pet her head gently.

“You have absolutely _no_ reason to be fighting over me!” she exclaimed, her voice nearly hysterical. She _hated_ it when people, demon or otherwise, fought for her in any way. Inuyasha and Kouga had long ago imprinted that deep seeded rage into her mind, and, thus, she could _not_ fathom the reason that these two _idiots_ would suddenly decide to do such.

“Kagome-san,” Kurama said quietly, “I am certain that I speak for Hiei and myself when I say that we have _every_ reason to fight for you. I do not know what has upset you so about the situation, but, _please_ , understand that it merely occurred due to Hiei’s blatant disregard for his health and Youko’s need for your attention.”

Hiei merely scoffed, glancing away to glare heatedly at the hole in the wall.

Kagome’s eyes hardened, as she began to frown deeply at the avatar when he tightened his grip upon her hand. Was he _serious_? What a huge load of crap that was! Neither of them _belonged_ to her, damn it.

“I understand that you are steadfast in your belief,” Kurama continued, “but my existence is to treat you as you should be treated. I am, as Hiei so happily stated, your prince in shining armor. The one that you so desired when you were but a small girl hoping that one day she would be swept off her feet and live happily ever after.”

Her anger faded, as she whispered, “How do you know _that_?”

“It is the same as Hiei knowing that he was created to represent the years in which you wanted to rebel from your family.” Kurama sighed somewhat, as he stared into the miko’s wide blue eyes. It appeared, from the spark deep within those orbs, that his simple explanation would not be enough to satisfy the young woman.

“ _No_ ,” Kagome frowned. She supposed that it made _sense_ , and there was the nagging feeling that there was something _right_ about the situation, but she _refused_ to believe that someone, somewhere, had decided that she just _deserved_ five _more_ whatever in the hell they were going to send her. And, whatever it was, she hoped to anyone that was holy that it was _not_ a woman.

And, in the off chance that one of them _was_ , that Inuyasha did not step foot on her doorstep. _Ever_ _again_.

Turning her attention to the smaller demon, she asked, “Do _you_ know Inuyasha?”

Hiei’s eyes narrowed a fraction, as he began to ponder _who_ in the world she was referring to. What importance they held to her. And, whether or not it would require him to find a sturdy sword to thrust through the man’s gullet. “ _Hn_.”

“That is _not_ an answer,” she growled.

“I believe he is telling you that _no_ , he does not know this Inuyasha,” Kurama replied swiftly. His grip tightened a little more, his eyes flashing with Youko’s influence, as his slightly clawed hand continued to smooth down her long tresses. “Though, I am curious, Kagome-san. You asked me the same question when I arrived, and I am beginning to believe that this Inuyasha character is _important_ to you.”

“ _Yes_ ,” she scowled, “he is my best friend, and I’m _still_ pretty damn certain he’s paying you both to do this to me for some _stupid_ reason.”


	11. Eleven

"I need to go outside," she stated quite suddenly.

Kurama frowned, but allowed the riled woman to push at his shoulder in order to move him from her path. Her belief was understandable, in truth, but even the fox trapped inside of him twisted with the thought that she might  _not_  have truly wanted him. She had pushed and pushed and  _pushed_  for the last few days that he had been within her presence, and appeared that Hiei's presence had hardened her resolve.

The situation would need to be fixed very quickly, though the avatar was not quite certain where they had gone wrong. It was obvious that Kagome was upset over Youko choosing to fight with Hiei for her hand, but there was simply no reason for her to have become so hysterical.

" _Hn_."

Casting a glance at the small hybrid, Kurama knew that he would be no help in that endeavor. Hiei would take what he wanted when he wanted it, but there was little chance that he would bend in order to please the young woman.

Kagome was muttering to herself as she grabbed her jacket off a nearby hook, knowing that she needed to get out of the house before she fried one, or preferably  _both,_ of the demons that refused to just  _leave_. "Stupid," she growled, "stupid, stupid, stupid,  _stupid_!"

"Kagome-san, might I ask where you are planning to go?" Kurama finally asked.

"Oh," she huffed, "y'know, away from the house for a little while. Maybe forever. I'm not sure yet, but I'm guessing that it'll depend on whether or not I come back and you're  _still_ here."

The avatar frowned somewhat, stating, "I do not believe sarcasm is very becoming of you, Kagome-san."

Pulling her jacket on, Kagome replied, "This coming from the guy who keeps telling me that he  _belongs_  to me when I have  _never_  met him before in my entire life! And unless I was _really_ , super drunk one time, I'm fairly certain that I haven't married or mated or hooked up with  _anybody_ , so  _excuse_  me if I'm having a little trouble grasping that little fact, Prince Charming."

"You are excused."

If looks could kill, he would have been dead in that moment.

Attempting to cover up his slight blunder with a cough, Kurama stepped closer to the still fuming woman. "Allow me to escort you then, Kagome-san. I, too, would like to experience a bit of fresh air."

"And  _why_  should I let you do that?" There was suspicion written deep into her gaze, knowing that the emerald-eyed avatar could easily sway her off her feet if he tried hard enough. She would fight her damnedest in the process, but she knew that there was something about the two of them that excited the very core of her being.

It was ridiculous. They were  _not_  made for her!

"You could consider it our first  _date_ ," Kurama suggested lightly.

"You want to…" Kagome slowed her speech, uncertain, "go on a  _date_? A date with me?"

"Has no one ever taken you on one before, Kagome-san?" Kurama blinked, curious.

Huffing in outrage, she hissed, "Of course I've been on a date before, you  _jackass_!"

His eyes flashed golden with her statement.

Her hand flying up toward her hand, she seemed to come back into herself almost immediately. It had been a reflex, to be honest, from when Inuyasha had constantly poked and prodded her about the same thing. "O- _oh my god_ ," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Kurama merely nodded in response.

"I,  _uh_ ," Kagome blushed, "I'm just going to leave."

Almost immediately she was out the door, but it was the slight shift in the air that caught Kurama's attention. He did not need to look to know that Hiei had departed after the woman for whatever reason. His eyes flashed once again, as the soul within him demanded that he, too, follow the woman and reprimand her for pushing away his attempt to bond with her.

His form shimmered and turned silver, as he slipped through the door.


	12. Chapter 12

"Higurashi-san!"

Kagome nearly faltered in her step, praying to whatever higher being that might be listening that the voice she had heard was _not—_

"Higurashi-san!" Akitoki Hojo waved from a nearby bench, clearly excited to see her.

Oh _god,_ somebody shoot her.

Knowing it was impolite to do otherwise, Kagome plastered a smile on her face and waved back at the enthusiastic man. She should have _known better._ This was the park that Hojo usually decided to take his nightly jog in, after all, if she remembered correctly, which was the _exact_ reason she had told herself _never_ to come here again.

Inuyasha would be laughing his ass off if he knew she had made such a simple mistake after being thoroughly flustered by two insane, stupid, _hormonal_ demons. Though, the mere thought of her best friend had her gritting her teeth a bit more, since she was still certain that he must have paid the two of them an _awful lot_ to pull this ridiculous prank on her.

Her eyes returned to the pavement with the thought, the guilt of having snapped and calling Kurama a _jackass_ quickly returning. _Sure,_ the two of them were _absolutely_ bonkers, especially since they had clearly been hit on the head to allow Botan to stuff them into Santa sacks and proclaiming they belonged solely to her. And, yeah, _sure,_ she definitely, _positively,_ wanted to fry them both for refusing to leave her house, but did that really warrant her calling them names?

Well… she _supposed,_ if they really _were_ doing this as some kind of joke…

"I did not expect to see you out here, Higurashi-san!" Hojo cut through her musing with ease, immediately setting her teeth on edge once more. "Are you sure you're well enough to be out for a walk? You're awfully red."

 _"Uh,_ yeah," Kagome waved her hand absentmindedly. She tried to laugh, but realized that it came out as a nervous, awkward sound that had the man staring at her oddly. "I'm fine, Hojo-kun. I just needed a breather, y'know? Long day at work and everything."

She was a _terrible_ liar, but _honestly,_ who was going to believe her if she started spouting off about how some crazy woman dressed in a Santa suit had dropped off two demons, even if one was _technically_ trapped in a human body, at her doorstep? Or how they had nearly removed a wall from her home in an attempt to challenge each other for her affection?

 _God,_ she sounded crazy to _herself._ This _had_ to be some kind of joke. There was just _no way_ anything she had written when she was a child had somehow been granted to her and dropped into her lap. _Especially_ not by _Santa._

"Ah!" Hojo smiled a bit wider, saying, "Maybe I could drop off some medicinal tea that my father recently ordered into the pharmacy later this week for you? I believe it's actually created from a demon tree's root, and it's said to do wonders for the everyday aches and pains."

Kagome tried her hardest not to allow her anxiety show with the mention of the man _coming over_ to her place. Hojo tried so hard to be sweet, he _really_ did, but _oh god_ , he was so _stupid._ She would need to change the locks and make sure that she _never, ever_ answered the door for two months or more if he so much as stepped onto her doormat, because the sweet idiot would take every opportunity after that to show up and ask her to go out with him again.

She just _did not_ know how to get it through his thick skull that she did _not_ want to date him.

Her skin crawled with a warning that she was becoming all too familiar with, as she attempted to find a way to laugh off Hojo's suggestion without making it seem like she was telling him to drop off a cliff.

 _"Miko,"_ Hiei's voice was dark and possessive from behind her.

Oh _god,_ somebody shoot her _please._


	13. Chapter 13

She gasped in surprise when an arm wrapped tight around her waist, pulling her flush into the little hybrid's side. Grabbing onto the black cloak he wore for support, Kagome could only stare at the third eye that had seemingly appeared from nowhere on the demon's forehead. "H-Hiei," she whispered, nearly suffocating underneath the territorial aura he was pressing down around her senses.

His crimson eyes briefly swept over her, satisfied once he had determined that the faint sound of his name escaping her lips was not from fear or injury, before he settled them onto the man blinking owlishly at them both. His lip lifted slightly in disgust, as he began to realize that he was going to need to secure himself a sword soon. It would be quite beneficial in keeping unwanted attention away from the little miko, considering it was quite obvious that she had been attempting to find a way to escape the situation he had found her in.

 _"Oh,"_ Hojo only seemed a _little_ uncertain now, "Hello, I'm Akitoki Hojo."

Hiei only sneered at the human as he bowed at the waist, not bothering to acknowledge the fact that he had spoken at all. His eyes merely became slits, his arm tightening around the woman pressed against him and silently declaring his claim to the idiot.

 _"Uh."_ Kagome tried to laugh, she _really_ did, but, _god,_ while she was able to easily explain away Kurama's apparent interest in her as a mere joke on Inuyasha's behalf, the sheer possessiveness that Hiei radiated only gave her doubts to the whole idea. She was really, _really_ starting to wish that she had not blown Inuyasha off so she could call him just to make sure she had not gotten really, _really_ drunk one day and accidentally ended up mated in some bizarre sense of the word to the fire demon. "Hojo-kun, this is Hiei, he's, _uh,_ well, he's—"

A smirk appeared on his face then, dark and arrogant, as Hiei said, "I am her _mate."_

W… _what?!_

Kagome stiffened against him, her eyes huge with disbelief. Had… had he just said…?!

Hojo's mouth fell open slightly, before he tried his best to compose himself. _"O-oh,_ I was unaware that Higurashi-san had… had finally committed herself to someone."

There was… just _no way_! Kagome tried to control her sudden need to hyperventilate, as she stared at the demon barely an inch shorter than her. This _had_ to be some part of the fucked up little prank they were trying to pull on her, right? _Right?!_ She had not… she could not… _had she?!_

Somewhere in her panic she made a mental note to retract her decision to not talk to or see Inuyasha for a good _long_ while, because she needed to know _right now_ if she had—!

There was a faint brush against her mind, as a voice that sounded suspiciously like Hiei's whispered, _Calm down, miko._

"W- _what?_ " she squeaked, barely audible to the demon holding her.

Hojo gave her a wistful look, as he said, "I suppose I should say congratulations to you, Higurashi-san. I had not expected you to take a mate, but… you are a very powerful and beautiful miko, and I hope—"

 _He won't bother you anymore_ , the voice said. Kagome blinked several times, feeling the faint pulse of energy that escaped from the third eye Hiei had kept hidden from her somehow. Her breathing began to settle, as she took a quick glance toward where Hojo had bowed his head and looked away from them. Had Hiei just…?

"—you the very best." Hojo smiled softly then, though it seemed sad and distant, before saying, "I really must be going. I'm sorry, Higurashi-san."

"N- _no_ , that's all right," Kagome replied. "I'll see you later, Hojo-kun."

The man merely nodded, before leaving Kagome to stare at the fire demon that she was _now_ fairly certain could read minds as he cocked an eyebrow at her.

Oh, that _sneaky little_ —!

"I think you forgot that you need to have a cock in order to have a mate, you sneaky little bastard."


	14. Chapter 14

Kagome groaned, as she glanced over her shoulder to see Youko's dazzling silver form dissolve away into locks of red. Kurama's mesmerizing emerald eyes locked onto her like a predator, and she had to fight the urge to find the nearest pole to bang her head against. _Of course_ he would follow her, too. It was like he was attached to her hip ever since Botan had dropped off the sack that had had Hiei inside of it.

_Which reminded her._

"Thanks for the help, but you can let go of me _now,"_ Kagome grumbled, glaring at the fire demon _literally_ attached to her hip. She would give it Inuyasha, _this_ was a _great_ prank. He had outdone himself with this one, considering the hybrid was making a grand show of it with his domineering personality.

The smile that Hiei gifted her with could have been described as downright _cruel,_ as he said, "Why? Aren't you enjoying being _attached_ to your mate?"

She huffed at him, tempted to try giving him a little jolt to send him packing. He had not seemed deterred when he had kissed her before, but she was pretty damn positive that she could make him forget about _belonging to her_ if she put enough force behind it. It would serve him right, too. "Put that away," she pointed at the third eye he was staring at her with, feeling it nudge against her mind again, "and _stop_ reading my mind!"

"Hiei." Kurama's hand settled onto her shoulder. "You really must stop teasing Kagome-san. It's obvious that she is not enjoying it."

"Hn."

Kagome quickly shook off Kurama's hand once the fire demon stepped back and allowed her to have some space. She glared at them both, saying, "This has been _great,_ guys, really, but _seriously,_ you can go now." She could _not_ believe that she had almost believed for a _moment_ that she had somehow accidentally mated these two lunatics. "Hah, hah, _hah._ See, I've had a good laugh about it, so you can go home now and tell Inuyasha that I don't appreciate his _efforts."_

"Kagome-san, I believe I've said this one before, _many_ times in fact, but I don't know anyone by the name of Inuyasha." Kurama had the _audacity_ to look concerned.

Were they _really_ going to keep up this act? How _much_ were they being paid? The last time she had gotten the chance to speak to Kikyo, her cousin made it seem as if Inuyasha was spending every last cent she owned on ramen packets and pocky. Had he secretly been stashing the money away so he could make sure this prank went on for as long as possible?

She _really_ needed to kick him somewhere good if that were the case, and she _would_ once she managed to make these two fess up.

Hiei snorted, drawing her attention. "I am _not_ being paid, woman. I was created for you."

 _"Ugh!_ I told you to _stop_ doing that!" she hissed.

"While I do not approve of his methods," Kurama coughed, "I must agree with him, Kagome-san. I belong to you, as I, too, was created from your childhood wish."

_"Uuuughhh!"_

How long was she going to have to put up with this? Were they all going to have a big laugh at her expense after Botan dropped off her _seventh_ gift? Because… because…

Kagome dropped her face into her hands, hating herself suddenly for the mere _thought_ that she might not be able to handle them for quite that long without developing some sort of attachment to them. Between Kurama's enchanting good looks and charming smile, and Hiei's absolute determination to prove her wrong in her assumptions, she just was not _sure_ she could trust even _herself_ around them eventually.

That was a problem. A big, big, _big_ problem.


	15. Chapter 15

****Composing herself the best she could, Kagome took a deep breath and told herself that she could get through this ridiculous joke. Inuyasha would _not_ get the better of her, no matter how much money he threw at these people he had hired for this prank. Kurama _might_ be absolutely charming in every way and Hiei _might_ be absolutely determined to prove her wrong, but _she_ would be the one to have the last laugh when this was finally said and done. She would _not_ let them get under her skin so easily, because there was _absolutely no way_ they had been delivered to her by _Santa_ after being _created_ for her.

It just was _not_ possible.

“ _Okkkay_ ,” she sighed to herself, before suddenly turning on her heel and marching further into the park. She felt Hiei’s suffocating aura drift into the nearby treeline, the tiny apparition taking to the dense foliage out of sight, as Kurama began to trail behind her slightly down the path she had chosen. She was dead set on ignoring them both for the time being, but given the last couple of days she had had to spend in their presence, she was not entirely surprised when her well deserved silence was broken.

“Kagome-san, where are you going exactly?” Kurama asked politely. He was not entirely certain, but she seemed to have a set destination in mind now as she walked off the concrete path and into the woods. He blinked slightly in surprise, noting the faint twitch of agitation that creased the corner of her eye when she cast a quick glance back at him. “It’s getting quite dark out already, so perhaps we should venture back to your apartment? While I’m certain that Hiei and I are more than capable of protecting you from any sort of attack, this is not the best location with the—”

Turning toward him with a deep frown, Kagome huffed, “I’m _perfectly_ aware of how dark it’s getting, thank you very much.” She looked away when his eyes flashed a deep golden, barely concealed by the shadows of the trees, and returned to expanding her senses in search of the ancient tree that had often helped ease her troubled mind in the past. “I know where I’m going, okay, but I can’t find it when you’re distracting me. So, could you do me a favor and not talk for like five minutes?”

Somewhat reluctantly, Kurama nodded at the request. Youko’s soul shifted beneath his own, the fox trapped within him grumbling with dissatisfaction at having given the pretty little miko permission to ignore them both, but Kurama was quick to ignore even Youko by focusing on the foliage whispering faintly in his ear. This part of the park resonated with an ancient demonic energy that had settled into the nearby plants over the years, and those plants were more than happy to sing praises of the _elder_ who remained deeply concealed from the average human eye. The bits and pieces he was able to pick up from the local plant life was not enough to inform him of what exactly resided deeper within the park, though, and he frowned slightly at Kagome’s back as he followed her without question.

As they finally neared an area blocked by a powerful demonic barrier, however, Hiei suddenly dropped from the tree he had been occupying and landed next to the miko leading the way.

“ _Oh my god!_ ” Kagome exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her skin when he appeared like the _flying shadow_ he was named after. She scowled at the slanted look he gave her then, trying _not_ to feel bad when she realized that she had probably almost erupted his ears with the yell when he was right next to her. “Don’t do that! How many times do I have to tell you that you’re going to give me a heart attack?”

Hiei stepped toward her, and Kurama found himself quite impressed when she somehow evaded the little fire demon’s attempts to listen to her heart for any signs of health complications with a deepening scowl.

“ _Stop that!_ ” Kagome felt her face redden a bit, remembering the last time he had taken it upon himself to settle his ear upon her chest to listen to her heart after such a statement. And then he had… well, he had… God, she did _not_ want to think about the fact that these two just _might_ manage to get under her skin by the time she got through this entire mess. “And I told you to put that away!” she growled, noticing the faint smirk forming on his face when his third eye settled upon her.

“Kagome-san,” Kurama drew her attention easily enough, “where exactly are we?”

“ _Oh_ , I guess you could say this is Bokuseno’s Forest.” Kagome frowned a bit, “Except, _well_ , obviously the forest was cut down quite a bit over the years. I used to come here to think after I moved into my apartment, until… _yeah_ , anyway.”

Considering the woman’s reaction to the boy earlier, Kurama could take a educated guess on why she no longer frequented this particular spot until now. He decided not to mention it, however, as he asked, “Bokuseno?”

“He’s a _really_ old tree,” she said. “Sesshoumaru brought me here a couple years ago when I was talking about how much I missed the Goshinboku back home.” She eyed them both for a minute, before she continued by saying, “You can both stay out here. Bokuseno’s great with advice and all, but he’s a _tree_ . And even if I _needed_ protecting, I’m still a miko, and he’s a _demon_ , so, _yeah_.”

“ _Miko_.”

Hiei’s aura was damn near _suffocating_ in that moment, as Kagome stepped up to the barrier. She whipped her head in his direction, watching the way his carmine eyes narrowed dangerously, and cocked an eyebrow at the violet light that emitted from his third eye. “What?”

“I cannot detect anything beyond this barrier,” Hiei stated.

“Yeah, like I said,” she sighed, “he’s _really_ old.”

Both of them stiffened then, as she stepped into the barrier and seemed to simply _vanish_ from their senses.


	16. Chapter 16

"I don't honestly believe we should do that," Kurama sighed, quietly adding,  _just yet_. He had not taken to pacing impatiently in front of the barrier like Hiei had, but he could feel Youko raging within his mind, and knew that his poor little miko was in for a treat when she decided to emerge from her little visit with what she had claimed to be a benevolent demon tree. He tried to ignore the heated stare Hiei settled him with after he had spoken, knowing that the little demon could be volatile. "If Kagome-san believed the area inside that barrier to be safe, then we should respect her decisions, Hiei. She  _is_  a miko, after all, and she seemed to have been here before."

Hiei scowled at him, tapping his instinctively lengthened claws against his hip. He  _really_  needed to find himself a sword. "While I might agree with you that she is a miko," he said, "she is also prone to throwing a temper tantrum and falling all over herself at the best of times. She barely notices our presence when we're standing right next to her, and I have little doubt that she often gets herself into trouble because of it."

"Kagome-san might not say it," Kurama replied, "but I think she trusts us not to hurt her, so she doesn't bother keeping her senses open to tracking our every movement. Would you honestly keep tabs on—" Kurama  _knew_  this was playing dirty, "—say,  _your mate_ , Hiei?"

The fire apparition openly growled at him with the statement, before leaping up into the nearest tree to wait rather  _impatiently_  for the miko. Kurama only shook his head at him, knowing that he had hit a nerve by reminding him that while they had been created with the purpose of belonging to one Higurashi Kagome the little demon did  _not_  hold such a claim to her yet. Not  _really,_  so there was absolutely no reason for him to be posturing outside a barrier that had denied him entry like he had had his mate forcefully ripped from him.

Though, as he set his own frown upon the barrier, Kurama could understand  _why_  Hiei felt the need to act like such. Kagome had only been gone for a little while, maybe twenty minutes at best now, but even he and Youko could feel the tension with the disappearance of her very  _existence._  And if it were not for the fact that Youko was a separate entity from himself, merged together for the purpose of fulfilling her childhood desire, he had little doubt that the silver fox would have been pacing just as impatiently outside that barrier himself.

As it was, though, with the barrier denying them both from accessing the demon tree's territory, they had little choice but to wait.


	17. Chapter 17

"Ah, Kagome-sama, you've come at last."

Smiling fondly as the wizened face of the magnolia demon tree appeared after a moment, Kagome did not find herself at all surprised that the ancient demon had known she would come here eventually. He always seemed to just  _know,_  and she suspected often that he conversed with the trees nearby to gather information about the outside world. "Hello, Bokuseno. It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Yes, yes," the demon tree agreed. "Quite some time has passed since you last sat amongst my roots with Sesshoumaru-sama. Many things have begun to happen to you, I suspect?"

 _"Mm."_  Kagome frowned slightly with the observation, knowing that Bokuseno had most likely had to have heard  _something_  about what was currently happening in her life. Especially if it involved  _Inuyasha,_  as she was  _positive_  it did. The demon tree watched the two sons of the Inu no Taisho like a hawk, often offering advice to Sesshoumaru whenever the stubborn dog chose to seek such.

"Did you see the young Akitoki boy? I had thought I felt his footfalls close to my roots outside the barrier today." Bokuseno's eyes creased slightly in amusement along the corners when the young miko stiffened considerably at the mention. "I believe he was attempting to gain the courage to visit your home once more a few weeks ago, but if what I hear is correct, you needn't worry about it with your new mate on guard."

"My…  _what?!_ " Kagome's eyes widened hysterically as she stared at the ancient demon tree. She felt her heart nearly skip a beat when she realized that if  _somehow, some way_ , she actually  _had_  ended up really, really,  _really_  drunk and magically mated in any way while around Inuyasha, Bokuseno would  _definitely_  know about it. And he had… he had just said…!

 _"Unless,"_  Bokuseno breathed quietly, "the fire apparition I feel pacing outside my barrier is  _not_  your mate? Was he attempting to protect your honor from the young Akitoki boy? You have always become quite distressed whenever he has attempted to distract you from coming to speak to me."

"Don't  _scare_  me like that, Bokuseno!"

 _"Ah,_  do forgive me." The demon tree laughed quietly as the young miko flopped down among the roots settled around him, having long since pulled from the soil as his network extended out further into the world beyond. "Is he your lover, perhaps? He seems quite determined to tear down my barrier and find his way back to you." He only chuckled a little more at the look she gave him with the suggestion. "The other then? He seems to understand the language of the trees well enough, and is holding back for now. Or… perhaps both, Kagome-sama?"

" _Bokuseno!_ " Kagome sputtered, feeling her face turn red.

"To be young and in love," the demon sighed wistfully.

Feeling quite embarrassed, Kagome huffed a little as she remembered all the other times the ancient demon tree had attempted to suggest to her that Sesshoumaru would make a good mate. He was only teasing her, and while she did not appreciate him nearly causing her heart to jump into her throat for a moment, she smiled fondly while listening to the sound of his voice. It  _had_  been too long since she had come to visit him, even if she had been making every attempt to remain as far away from Hojo as possible. "It's good to see you," she said. "Even if I'm  _not_  in love with either of those two."

"Eventually someone will capture that elusive heart of yours, Kagome-sama."

"But not  _today,_  Bokuseno. Not today." The routine was easy now, recognizing the similar way he had attempted to push her toward the silent dog demon that only enjoyed her company above that of his half brother's.

"Today is not yet over, though," he replied. "And that Jaganshi is quite persistent."

"Jaganshi?" Kagome felt like the word was familiar, as she blinked up at Bokuseno's wise stare. The demon tree remained silent about the subject, allowing her a moment to come to the answer herself, and she furrowed her brow when she felt like she had finally come to the correct conclusion. "Hiei's third eye is a Jagan?"

"Is that his name?" Bokuseno asked in kind.

Well,  _that_  certainly explained why the little sneak was able to read her thoughts so easily! Kagome felt herself scowling a little at the realization, deciding that she would need to reinforce her mental barriers a little more to keep the entity from entering her mind whenever it wanted. And she would  _definitely_  be having a conversation with the fire demon about his invasion of privacy, physic abilities or not, since it was obvious he was in control of the eye, and there was no telling when she would be able to finally convince those two lunatics to vacate her property.

"Their presence disturbs you?"

Blinking at the sudden question, Kagome sighed, "It's  _crazy,_  Bokuseno! They keep going on about how they were made for me, because of some letters I sent to  _Santa,_  no less, and they were even dropped on my doorstep like a present by a woman who obviously hasn't figured out it's  _not_  December! This is all Inuyasha's idea, I'm  _sure_  of it."

"You think you're being deceived by Inuyasha?" Bokuseno hummed in thought. "That these two were sent to you simply as a ploy for some greater scheme he had planned?"

" _Yes!_ " she nodded. "This is probably all some big  _joke."_  She looked up hopefully at the demon tree, waiting for him to confirm her assumptions so she would have a reason to show up on Inuyasha's doorstep and give him a swift kick in the ass for this entire situation. The silence stretched for a bit  _too_  long, though, before she asked, "This… is a joke,  _right_?"

God, what would she do if she was  _wrong_? How could  _this_  be possible? How could someone just be…  _made_  for someone else and put on their doorstep? By a woman in a  _Santa suit_ , for crying out loud!

There was just  _no way_. Bokuseno  _had_  to tell her that—

"I am truly sorry, Kagome-sama, but as far as I am aware, this is  _not_  some ploy designed by the youngest son of the Inu no Taisho to deceive you for his own amusement," Bokuseno said, dashing her hopes quite thoroughly. "While Inuyasha has been known for such in the past, as of late the only movement I have heard from him is when he is near his lover. Unless she is part of this scheme, I can only tell you that there is something much  _greater_  going on."

No.

_No._

_"No,"_  Kagome shook her head in denial. There was…  _no._  Bokuseno had to be  _wrong,_  right? There was a chance the ancient demon tree was  _wrong, right_? Who  _else_  would possibly do this to her? Who  _else_  would think  _this_  was funny in the slightest? People were not just  _made_  for someone else and dropped onto their doorstep like every day  _trash_  in a Santa sack, so it had to be…!

"That is not to say that he could not have made other plans I have not heard whisper of," Bokuseno continued. "It is possible that perhaps this is not a plot against you, Kagome-sama, and that is why I have not heard such."

"You mean…" Kagome frowned at the thought, "like this  _isn't_  a joke? This is…?"

"Perhaps Inuyasha thought that today is not yet over, too," Bokuseno smiled slightly at the way the young miko's eyes widened comically with the suggestion. "While I often listen closely to the sons of the Inu no Taisho, there is a chance something so slight might have escaped my notice if that were the case."

Staring at the demon tree with her mouth hanging open, Kagome blinked several times as she tried to process what he had said. Inuyasha might… be trying to set her up with one of these guys?  _Why_  would he do that? Sure, he had often joked about how she never seemed to be able to get a date (which she blamed on  _him,_  by the way!), but why would he…? "That's…"

"A possibility?" Bokuseno offered.

Sitting among the roots of the ancient demon tree, Kagome could not decide whether she should be angry or not over the thought that while this might not be a  _prank,_  it might be an attempt to hook her up with a stranger. And even if it  _was,_  this was a bit  _extreme,_  was it not? Why were Kurama and Hiei proclaiming that they  _belonged_  to her, that they were  _created_  from some silly childhood wish she had made? Would it not have been easier to just show up on her doorstep and  _knock_  like a normal person?

Just what the  _hell_  was Inuyasha thinking, if that were the case?

...and how  _much_  was he paying all these people to go along with it?!


	18. Chapter 18

"Go on now, Kagome-sama, best not to keep them waiting much longer," Bokuseno urged, watching as the young miko rocked on the balls of her feet beside the barrier he had used for centuries to keep himself hidden. She had calmed quite considerably since she had first entered his territory, but now the tension had returned. "Even the one who understands the language of the trees is beginning to whisper and ask them how to penetrate my barrier to retrieve you. Were you aware he has been blessed by Inari with silver fur?"

 _"Great,"_  Kagome mumbled. That was just  _lovely._  She already knew that that meant Youko had slipped into control of Kurama, and she wanted to sigh heavily with the knowledge that that probably meant he would try to molest her again once she appeared. "Maybe I'll just stay here with you for the rest of my life, Bokuseno," she joked. "I'll build a little treehouse up in your branches, and we can have tea every day together."

 _"Ah,_  while that does sound like such a pleasant way to live, Kagome-sama, I am afraid I must decline," Bokuseno chuckled. "No doubt allowing you to stay would bring forth the wrath of both sons of the Inu no Taisho down upon my branches in search of you, and I have no desire to have two temperamental pups barking at me within this century." He hummed when the young miko sighed, knowing his words to be truth. "You also have to consider the silver fox and the Jaganshi currently desiring your safe return. They will eventually find a way into my barrier if you stay too long, so it is best you return to them before then so that you might visit alone again in the future."

"What do I do about them, though, Bokuseno?" Kagome bit her lip. "They probably have families and friends, and I don't know how to convince them that this is all just… just  _stupid_! They don't have to go along with any of this! I don't even understand why they are to begin with… I'm not… I'm not worth all this."

"To some, I believe, you are worth a great deal more than you believe yourself to be, Kagome-sama," Bokuseno reprimanded her mildly. "While I cannot say for concern why these two have come into your life, I can tell you that,  _perhaps,_  it is best to simply take it one day at a time. There is no reason to lose years of your life worrying over why others choose to follow the paths they have taken."

"But, Botan, that woman in the Santa suit I was telling you about, said that she was going to give me  _five more_  of them!" Kagome wanted to rub her temple just  _thinking_  about it. Why in the world did she need  _seven_  potential suitors? Where the hell had Inuyasha even  _found_  seven guys willing to go along with this scenario? At least…  _god,_  she  _really_  hoped that one of those seven gifts dropped off onto her doorstep did not end up being a woman, and if one  _did_  end up being a woman and this was all part of some  _stupid_  idea Inuyasha came up with… She was going to kick him  _so_  damn hard.

Bokuseno merely blinked at her, before saying, "Let us hope that they are not as persistent as the two you have currently then, Kagome-sama." His branches shook slightly with the strain upon his barrier, though it held against the sudden and abrupt assault. "It is best you leave now."

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked, concerned for her old friend. Why were Kurama and Hiei taking this so seriously? She was just inside Bokuseno's barrier! She had felt the blast of demonic energy that stuck the barrier suddenly, and she just could  _not_  understand why they felt the need to reach her. If this was all set up by Inuyasha… why were they acting like their mate had been stripped from them?

There was no other possible explanation, because  _Santa_  was just a child's fantasy! There was no jolly man who appeared from chimney's to deliver toys and wishes, and even if there was, she certainly did not remember there ever being any stories about the jolly old fellow creating other  _people_  for someone. It was just  _insane._  So why were they—?

The ancient demon tree grunted a little, as he said, "Now, if you would be so kind, Kagome-sama. I can hear the silver fox whispering to the local plant life outside my barrier about creating a plant that would be most hazardous to your health if you were to step outside afterward. Best you hurry."

Upset with the discomfort that the two were obviously causing Bokuseno, Kagome nodded sharply. "I'm sorry for bringing them here," she said softly. Then she stepped through the barrier without another moment's hesitation, intent on giving them both a piece of her mind for attempting to injure Bokuseno in any way after she had  _told_  them that she could protect herself against the demon tree  _if_  for some stupid reason she had to. "You idi—!"

 _"There_  you are, my little minx," Youko's voice was dark with satisfaction as he purred from behind her. "I was beginning to wonder if my attempts to gain your attention would be ignored, or if I'd have to break through this demon tree's barrier."

Kagome stiffened when his arms wrapped tight around her, wondering how he had gotten behind her when she had been standing almost directly in front of the barrier. The feel of his seductive magic was thick and heady, and she was certain her head would have swam with it if it had not been for the years she had spent around Shippo. Instead, scowling, she elbowed him underneath the ribs and was quite pleased when she heard him release a faint hiss at the contact.  _"Hey!"_  she snarled, feeling his hand graze along the bottom of her breast. "Let go of me, you lecher!"

"Are you  _always_  this feisty, Vixen?" Youko chuckled in her ear, delighting in the shiver that raced up her spine. It would seem she was  _not_  entirely immune to his seduction, after all, as she squirmed within his hold in an attempt to free herself. "Or are you just doing it for me?"

Feeling Hiei's blood red stare burning through her from the shadows, Kagome felt her face flame in embarrassment at her situation. Youko just would  _not_  let go. She elbowed him again, and yelped in surprise when he fully cupped her breast in retaliation to the assault.  _"Youko!"_

"That's it, Vixen," the fox demon purred. "Scream my name for me again."

Quickly having had enough, Kagome twisted her head around and glared up at the exceedingly tall fox demon with a scowl. " _Let go of me this instant!_ " She was not  _entirely_  surprised when he made it blatantly obvious that he refused to do so now that he had her in his grasp, though, considering how touchy he had attempted to be in the past. So, when he began to tug insistently on her nipple through her shirt, making her face flame brighter, she made it a point to blast him with a bit more of her holy energy than was necessary to dislodge him.

Locks of silver melted into red, as Kurama hit the barrier behind her rather roughly with a cry.

"I told you to let go of m—!" she began to reprimand him, only to squeak with a high pitch,  _"Eeek!"_  when she found herself whisked off her feet and onto Hiei's shoulder as the fire apparition sped away from the avatar laying smoking upon the ground.  _"Hiiiiieeeeiiii!"_


	19. Chapter 19

If there was one thing Kagome had loved since she was a child, it was heights. Ever since she had first been capable of climbing into the branches of the Goshinboku back on her family shrine, she had known that there was nothing better than being able to see the world from a high vantage point. She had soon learned that that delight was made all the more sweeter when added alongside the thrill of traveling at high speeds, too, and had often convinced her more skittish friends in high school to ride the biggest, fastest roller coaster at the amusement park whenever they were able to go. It might not have been as often as she would have liked at the time, but each and every time had been a thrilling adventure that set her adrenaline on fire.

It was not until she had first made friends with Inuyasha, the irritital half demon that had a crush on her cousin, though, that she had been able to truly delight in her desire. He had grumbled about it all the time, before almost reluctantly dropping down into a crouch to carry her on his back across the city. She could not even remember the amount of times she had thanked him after he had given her such a lift to college, a skip in her step at the remembrance of the wind in her hair and the delight at being so  _high_  above everything.

Higher and faster than a roller coaster could ever hope to go, that was for sure.

A squeal of delight escaped her suddenly, despite the uncomfortable position Hiei had her in by throwing her over his shoulder, as the wind whipped around her. They were  _so_  high suddenly, traveling at a speed her best friend could  _never_  hope to achieve, and for a moment Kagome forgot about Santa and gifts and  _stupid_  potential matchmaking attempts. Hiei's gait was even and sure, and she was almost certain that he picked up his pace a little when he realized that she was enjoying the ride more than the average person.

"This is  _amazing_!" she shouted. She was positive there was  _no way_  he could hear her with the wind at this velocity, but she could not help but add, "Can you go faster?!"

 _Yes,_  brushed against her mind, as the Jagan picked up the stray wish. His hand tightened around her thighs, keeping her locked securely against his shoulder.  _You'll need to hold on, though._

His dark cloak clenched tight between her fingers, Kagome felt his other hand wrap around the back of her knees as his speed increased. Uncaring of the way her hair was becoming a tangled mess with the angle, she laughed delightfully, watching through the shifting black cloud as the world disappeared beneath them. "Where are we going?" she shouted, realizing afterward that it was probably pointless to speak when he could hear her thoughts.

 _I need a sword_ , Hiei replied.

A sword…? Kagome blinked in surprise, though it quickly disappeared into another bout of giggles when Hiei leapt from a building and into a tree nearby. He maneuvered effortlessly through the thick foliage for only a moment, before dropping lower to take advantage of a clear path leading further away from the city. But even without the added delight of leaping high above everything and anything, the sheer speed Hiei was capable of achieving left her almost breathless.

 _I have pinpointed the location of a fire demon said to forge the best swords in Japan with the Jagan. We'll arrive there shortly,_  his voice whispered.

Pulled from her euphoria with the reply to her unasked question, Kagome nearly caused the tiny fire demon to falter in step when she jerked up against his back. "You mean Totosai?!" she asked. "Nobody knows where he lives! He's a hermit!" The last time she had even heard about the demon, Inuyasha had been grumbling that he had made a house visit to make sure the Tessaiga was still holding up and keeping his demon blood in check.

 _Nothing can hide from the Jagan_ , Hiei stated simply.

"Except  _me_  inside Bokuseno's barrier, right?" Kagome laughed, but the sound quickly died in her throat when the fire apparition came to a sudden stop,  _"Ooomph!"_  and caused her to jerk rather roughly with the motion. "What was  _that_  for?" she grumbled.

"We're here," Hiei said.

A little thankful that he had not decided to just drop her onto the ground, Kagome wobbled a bit once her feet were firmly planted back on the ground. The stupid smile plastered across her face refused to leave, even as she tried to sort out the rat's nest that her hair had become somewhere along the way.  _"This_  is it?" she asked, pointing to the small cave entrance. "Are you sure?"

She was  _not_  about to admit to him that she  _kinda_  hoped he was wrong, if only so they could continue running at that heart pounding pace.

He smirked then, the third eye beginning to drop closed now that he had found the destination he had sought. "Don't worry, little miko," his voice lowered. "I'll have to carry you back to the city if you ever hope to make it there by dawn." He ignored the snort of displeasure she released when she realized he had picked up on her stray thought anyway, turning on his heel to enter the cave entrance.

Deciding to let the slight insult about her human pace slide, since he was  _probably_  right depending on how far from the city they had traveled, Kagome jogged to catch up to him before he made it into the cave without her. "Why do you need a sword, Hiei?" she asked.

The fire apparition paused for only a moment, catching her with his carmine stare. "I need a sword because you insist on trusting every wayward demon out there," he told her. "I'll need one in case anyone is stupid enough to attempt to take what is mine."

And just like  _that,_  as the demon walked into the cave ahead of her, Kagome felt the adrenaline rush out of her when she realized that all of this was just another part of whatever charade they were all attempting to play with her. Her smile dropped a little, praying silently that this ordeal ended  _before_  she received whatever her seventh gift was supposed to be, before she finally moved to catch up to the little fire apparition before he left her behind.


	20. Chapter 20

The cave was dark and isolated, twisting deep into the mountainside, and their only source of light was a small flickering flame dancing in Hiei's hand. She knew that he was producing the light for her benefit alone, most likely so she did not end up tripping over her own feet attempting to follow him, and while she was grateful for the gesture, she could not help but wonder what exactly he was getting out of all this. He was silent, continuing forward without so much as another word after claiming her,  _again,_  and left her to ponder to herself how in the world Inuyasha had convinced someone like  _him_  to go along with any of this now that the Jagan was closed.

Kurama she could  _almost_  understand, considering he had a fox demon trapped inside of him. Inuyasha had probably just dangled some fancy treasure that his father had left to him, and the fox had been all over himself with the thought of a challenge to obtain such an item to add to his horde. They were just like  _that,_  after all. Even Shippo, bless his heart, could not give up a good challenge if it meant some prize at the end of it all, and he was fire based fox.

Then there was the added bonus that they became so much  _worse_  when there might be a little something  _extra_  in it for them. Sex motivated fox demons like nothing else, as they were capable of feeding off the energy produced during the act no matter the color of their fur.  _That_  fact, especially, fit Youko well with how many times he had attempted to molest her already in the short while since he had been dumped onto her doorstep. She was almost  _certain_  that every other sentence that left his lips would probably be an innuendo of some sort if he was not trapped inside Kurama.

Kurama certainly  _would_  fit the bill if Bokuseno's assumption that Inuyasha was attempting to hook her up was correct, but Hiei just did  _not_  seem like the type. Unless he had been secretly stalking her for some time without her knowledge, which seem  _very_  unlikely, she just could not come up with anything Inuyasha could have said or offered that would have interested the fire apparition enough to act this…  _possessive_  of her. Except for maybe…

"Hey, Hiei?" she asked softly. "How  _did_  you find Totosai's hideout? I know you said you used the Jagan, but people still joke about how he faked his death twenty years ago to stop people from visiting. He even moves around now and then just to make sure people don't."

The fire apparition did not reply, making her frown thoughtfully at his back. It  _fit,_  she realized. There were plenty of demons that could craft a sword, but how many could honestly claim that they had had one forged by the famed Totosai? Totosai was renowned for making some of the greatest weapons to have ever existed, crafted from the fangs of the Inu no Taisho himself for the sake of his sons, and he  _hated_  the attention. Very few individuals knew his usual hideouts, but one of those people happened to be Inuyasha.

Some small part of her nagged that maybe it did not fit  _well enough_ , though, as the demon finally turned his head enough to look at her. He could have taken that information from Inuyasha by force using the Jagan with ease. There was no illusions about the strained relationship between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, so he would not have had to worry about the half demon's elder brother seeking him out in retaliation for the slight against their family. He could have disappeared with the information, laughing to himself about how much the half demon's whines would fall on deaf ears if he sought assistance from his brother.

So, what then? What did that leave that Hiei would willingly act so dominating and possessive of her, almost as if he truly  _believed_  that he was created for her? That he belonged to her? That he would casually throw around the term  _"mate"_  just to send a silly human boy running with his tail between his legs?

The chance to bed a miko, maybe? That seemed unlikely, though that might have been what had attracted Kurama to this entire mess. There were plenty of miko with enough power to be tantalizing that were more than happy to go a round or two with a demon, but something about the fire apparition struck her as the type unlikely to have a one night stand with just any human. She doubted he was  _celibate,_  surely, but something about him bedding down with every miko he saw just seemed  _wrong._

Blushing a little as the thought swept through her, Kagome quickly looked away from the fire apparition now staring intently at her. He had never answered her question about how he had come by the information about Totosai's whereabouts, but she found herself wanting to change the subject before she became the color of a tomato. "Uh… how much farther, do you think?"

"Not far," Hiei replied after a moment. "I can feel the heat of the forge from here already. It shouldn't take us more than another ten minutes or so to reach the inner chamber." The fire apparition looked almost thoughtful, before he finally responded to her earlier question. "And if you must know, I didn't happen upon this area by whatever means you seem to believe I did. Totosai may believe he has hidden himself quite well, but more demons than just this  _Inuyasha,"_  he practically spat the name, wondering again what significance the individual had to his miko other than her  _best friend_ , "know where he has stationed himself. Most of them are simply waiting until he settles to confront him about more weapons."

Sputtering at his back, Kagome could only growl, "I  _told_  you to stop reading my mind!"

"Hn," Hiei smirked. "I didn't."

 _"What?"_  Kagome almost faltered in step. How had he—?!

"It's written all over your face, little miko," Hiei mocked her, delighting in the way her blush swept down into the neckline of her shirt. "I don't need to be psychic to know you are still trying to find some other reason behind why Kurama and I refuse to be moved from what you think are silly fantasties." He stepped toward her, back her up into the wall of the cave, as he leaned down to whisper into her ear, "I will only tell you this last time, miko. I was  _created_  for you. I  _belong_  to you. Nothing in this world will make me leave, and if you  _dare_  to stop breathing to try and escape that, I will do everything in my power to make certain that you realize  _you_  belong to  _me_  by bringing you back to life."

Unable to breath, even as the fire apparition stepped away from her to continue his journey deeper into the cave, Kagome lifted her hand over her heart to try and stop its suddenly rapidly beating pace. This was… this was…  _ridiculous,_  she tried to tell herself. There was just…  _no way_. He did not…  _no._  Why would he…?

"Are you coming, little miko? I'll leave you here in the dark if you don't hurry up," Hiei called.

Oh  _god._

In that moment, as she pushed away from the wall, Kagome  _knew_  that she was not going to make it through this entire set up without developing some sort of attachment to someone if they were anything like Hiei and Kurama. And if this  _was_  all just an elaborate set up by Inuyasha, she had to hand it to him, he had known just what would get under her skin the most.

That was a big, big,  _big..._  problem?  _Right?_


	21. Chapter 21

As they stepped into the inner chamber, Kagome took another quick glance at the fire apparition leading the way. Her heart picked up the pace once more, his bold declaration playing itself back over and over and  _over_  in her head, and she tried to will it away with a loud huff. It was just…  _just…_

'We're in luck," Hiei said, motioning to the demon's skull flickering with the light of a forge located toward the back of the cavern. "It would seem Totosai is home currently."

The sound of a hammer swinging filled the large chamber, sparks filtering out from the skull's eye with each blow. Kagome frowned a little, glancing around the darkened space. "It's  _weird,_  though, I don't see…" she replied, before she spotted the massive bovine sleeping off in a corner away from the noise. A smile touched her lips at the sight, having thought it odd that Totosai would leave without the beast. "Nevermind, there's Mo-Mo."

Hiei did not spare a glance toward the pack beast, having sensed its presence before they entered the chamber. He nodded for her sake, however, as he clenched his hand around the fire he was producing to douse the flame. He knelt in one fluid motion then, saying, "You'll need to get on my back. The ground here is likely to melt your shoes if you attempt to walk across it without assistance."

"Isn't this just a…?" She knew that Totosai often liked to hang out in volcanos, but this looked like a normal enough ca—

As if to emphasize his point, a pillar of fire sprang up in the distance.

 _"Oh…"_  Kagome shifted uneasily on her feet, wondering why the fire apparition was suddenly offering her his back after he had just carried her off to only God knows where across his shoulder. She quickly shook away the sound of his voice telling her that he and Kurama had been  _created_  for her, telling herself,  _again,_  that that was all just  _ridiculous._  It was not  _possible._  There  _had_  to be some other explanation for the way he was behaving, and she  _wanted_  to believe that it had something to do with her best friend deciding that she had been single for too long. Anything else was just…  _just…_  "This is  _crazy."_

"Some might say that choosing to talk to yourself is considered crazy, little miko," Hiei drawled.

Glaring at his back with the remark, Kagome finally stepped up to him and allowed him to grip the back of her thighs to lift her up onto his back. Wrapping her arms tight around his shoulders, she said, "Let's get this sword already. I just want to go home and soak in the tub for a while to forget any of this is happening."

The fire apparition snorted, but did not otherwise comment as he bound effortlessly across the scorching hot terrian. It took him less than a minute to clear the cavern, and he quickly shifted forward when he felt the miko start to foolishly move to stand on her own two feet. His hands tightening around her thighs, he smirked at the sound of surprise that escaped her in a cute little gasp. "It's not safe yet," he told her before she had the chance to start screeching in his ear about inappropriate behavior like she often did with Youko.

 _"Oh…" God,_  she should have just told him to leave her on the other side, because her face was going to be permanently red by the time she got him to take her back to her apartment at this rate!

...she did not even want to  _think_  about what Kurama might say if she returned looking like a tomato, either. Or Youko, for that matter. The fox avatar was probably going to be pissed about the fact that she was basically blasted him into a potent barrier that might have left serious battle wounds on his flesh, so she  _really_  did not need more fuel to add to that particular fire. Even if he  _totally_  deserved it for groping her the way he had.

The sound of metal colliding came to an abrupt halt as Hiei stepped into the demon's skull with the miko situated on his back. Pinprick black eyes immediately swiveled in their direction, before the elderly demon reached up to scratch the back of his head. "Eh, what's this then?" he asked.

Feeling the fire apparition loosen his grip finally, Kagome settled back onto the floor and skirted away from him toward the swordsmith. "Totosai!" She smiled when the other fire demon settled his gaze upon her, blinking owlishly at the bright greeting. "I'm so sorry that we've just dropped in like this. I'm Kagome. We've met before through Inuyasha a couple times."

"Inuyasha, you say?" Totosai seemed to ponder this for a few minutes, rubbing thoughtfully at his chin while he shifted his gaze between the brightly smiling miko and the glowering demon behind her. Then, with a shake of his head, he said, "Inuyasha…? Inuyasha…? Nope! I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name. You must have come to the wrong place."

 _"...what?"_  Kagome sighed in aggravation. She should have  _known_  Totosai would act the fool, considering the couple times she had seen Inuyasha shake in him for attempting to act like a senile old man. It was just her luck, honestly. She was  _never_  going to get home to that bath she so desperately wanted to take now.

"Your pathetic attempts at lying would be obvious to a newborn," Hiei said plainly.

 _"Hn?"_  Totosai narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, watching as the miko jumped a little in surprise at the sound of the apparition suddenly so close to her. As she turned a darker shade of red underneath the light of the forge, he turned his attention fully to the other demon staring at him with a narrowed crimson gaze. "I can't seem to remember ever lying about anything in my life, boy. You're both just mistaken, is all. Whoever you're looking for is probably dead."

The third eye he possessed cracked open slightly, as Hiei snorted, "You can't honestly think you can continue to lie to me, can you,  _old man_?"

Totosai lifted himself to his feet, muttering, "A Jaganshi?" as he pounded his fist onto his shoulder in an attempt to relieve the ache there. "Here I was enjoying my peace and quiet for a while, thinking about taking a nice bath sometime soon, and a Jaganshi shows up on my doorstep with his mate."

Kagome visibly twitched, feeling her heart nearly skip a beat when she caught the term that Totosai had mumbled under his breath. She had to remind herself to breathe, her face aflame, as the hysteria she was feeling far too often these days tried to creep back up on her with the remembrance that she had almost come to the same conclusion. Her earlier discussion with Bokuseno kept her from freaking out again, though, since the ancient tree had confirmed that she had at least  _not_  somehow become mated to the two lunatics refusing to leave her home while extremely out of it.

 _"Oh,_  I'll have to move again," Totosai continued, "and I rather liked this underground cavern." He hefted his hammer over his shoulder, while pushing slightly at the anvil he had been using with his toe. "They'll all flock here once they hear word that the  _great_  and  _noble_  Totosai is alive and well. Such a shame."

Hiei shifted himself slightly so he blocked most of the entrance, saying, "I require a sword. You may leave after you've given me one."

The swordsmith waved his hand, seemingly unconcerned by the threat, as he sighed, "That's all they ever want. Swords, this. Pikes, that. ' _Oh, Totosai, make me a weapon more powerful than even the Tessaiga!_ ' But they never understand the  _work_  that needs to go into that kind of weapon, and they're  _certainly_  unhappy when I tell them that there's no way I could produce something of that caliber with such weak fangs. The Inu no Taisho was just so powerful that it was easy. Maybe if Sesshoumaru donated a couple of his…"

"Totosai,  _please,"_  Kagome sighed. She just wanted to go home.

 _"Hn?"_  Totosai blinked then, asking, "Where did you all come from?"

Deciding to ignore the obvious attempt to act to seem absent minded, Kagome said,  _"Please,_  Hiei just wants  _a_  sword." She flickered her eyes toward the fire apparition for a moment, and immediately looked away when he caught her eye with a slight smirk. "Any sword, really. It doesn't have to be anything like Tessaiga."

"Doesn't have to be anything like Tessaiga, you say?" Totosai repeated, watching as the girl nodded rather enthusiastically. His hammer slipped from his shoulder then, as he frowned.  _"Oh,_  but what does that matter, really? Everybody will still flock here by tomorrow."

"We won't tell anybody where you are!" Kagome quickly added. "Like I said, I know Inuyasha. He's,"  _was,_  she quietly muttered to herself, "my best friend, and he's been keeping your secret for how long now?"

Totosai brightened a bit at the promise, asking, "Inuyasha? Inu no Taisho's youngest brat?"

She nodded, releasing a tiny relieved breath with Totosai's  _sudden_  and  _astounding_  revelation. She really, really,  _really_  just wanted to lock herself inside her bathroom and forget that Hiei and Kurama even existed for a couple hours while she was secluded behind a closed door. Maybe she would even get lucky enough that they would grow bored and decide to leave, though she seriously doubted it at this point.

Shuffling back toward the forge, the swordsmith produced a large pair of pillars from amongst the tools he kept there. "Why are we all just standing around then?" Totosai asked, amused by the twitch in the young miko's brow. "Come here and open your mouth, boy. I'll need a couple of fangs from you to make a sword worthy of protecting such a pretty little mate."

" _He's not…!_ "

Kagome really,  _really_  just wanted to  _leave_!


End file.
